Cycling-skirt



(No Model.) a sheets-sheet 2.A

P.B.QHBRCHT CYCLING SKIRT.

No. 567,979. l Patented sept. 22, 1896.

1m: Nonms Persns ce., momumm wnsmumun. n. c.

(No Model.) 3 shew-sheen a. P. B. HERGHT.

` CYCLING SKIRT.' No. 567,979'.

Patented. Sept'. '22

lil

/M W@ M UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

PAULINE B. HERCHT, OE ELIZABETH, NEV JERSEY.

CYCLING-SKIRT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,979, dated September 22, 1896.

Application tiled March 30, 1896 To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, PAULINE B. HEI-tour,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain structed so as to be readily converted into bloomers; and my invention consists in the construction and arrangement hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l shows a woman attired in my garment arranged as a skirt. Fig. 2illustrates its use as bloomers. Fig. 3 is a sectional view at the bottom of the garment when arranged as a skirt. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the dotted line all of Fig. 2, looking downward, and illustrates the legsections or bloomers into which the lower part of the garment may be converted. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached view of the lower end of one section of the garment before the gathering-string is drawn to close the section around the leg to form the bloomer. This figure shows the hem or facing w inclosing the gathering-string x at the bottom of the section and the button m, which I attach thereto so that the string may be conveniently caught when the wearer desires to gather the section about the leg. Fig. 7 shows the right section of the garment worn as bloomers while the left section hangs at full-length ready to be fastened to the right section when lowered to form the complet-e skirt. This figure illustrates the fact that my garment may present the appearance of a full-length skirt. The right half of the ligure shows one position in which the bloomers may be worn. They may, however, be fastened either higher or lower about the legs to suit the convenience of the wearer. Fig. 6 is a plan view or pattern of the front section of the garment before it is sewed into its final shape.

The garment is gathered at the waist-line Serial No. 585,320. (No model.)

.inthe usual manner. It is composed of a front section C and a corresponding back section D. Each half-section when laid out flat is substantially rectangular in outline, as shown in Fig. 6, and in the center has a slit a, which extends upward from the lower edge ofthe garment to a suitable point b, at which, in the completed garment, the crotch will be formed. At opposite sides of the slit a, and extending the full length of the garment, are formed knife-plaits c cl, respectively, which, below the crotch-line b, are provided with the buttons e and the buttonholes f or other convenient fastening devices, in order that the knifeplaits below the crotch-line may be brought together and buttoned to form the skirt. The upper portions of the knife-plaits c CZ above the crotch b are folded inward, sewed together, and gathered to the band B at its upper edge. The portions of the material between the slit a and knife-plaits c d Aand below the crotch-line b constitute sections h t', which pass inward between the legs and constitute part of the leg-section.

The above description of one half-section of the garment applies as well to the other half-section. The front and back are in separate pieces and are sewed together at their outer edges m m to complete the external outline of the garment. If the garment is to be composed of four pieces, the meeting edges of those portions of the material at the center of -the front and back will be seamed from the waist-line down to the crotch b, as indicated by dotted line o. The garment may, however, be made in any number of pieces by changes in detail which will suggest themselves to any one skilled in the art.

The front and back sections of the garment are sewed together also on the lines at the opposite edges of the slit a in each section, that is to say, the corresponding edges s of the front and back sections are sewed together, forming a seam down the inner side of one leg of the garment, and the corresponding edges t of the front and back sections are sewed together, forming a seam down the inner side of the other leg of the garment. Thus the garment when completed has two complete legsections from the lower edge up to the crotch Z9.

The front and back sections of the garment ICO crotch h are brought together and fastened' down the front and back of the garment, and

thus a complete skirt is formed.

Of course any other means for closing and fastening the slit o, so as to form the skirt may be used; but I have found that the knifeplaits suggested and shown in the drawings are convenient and neat in appearance.

To convert the garment into a pair of bloomers, the knife-plaits c d below the crotch b are unbuttoned both at the front and back,

and by means of the draw-strings 0c around the bottom of the leg-sections said sections may be gathered firmly about the legs of the wearer, thus formingbloomers. At-a suitable point in the facing inclosin g the draw-strings they are tacked to the material of the garment, so that when said strings are drawn both halves of the leg-section will be equally gathered.

As the garment is intended to extend downward from the waist-line to the length of a walking-skirt it is necessary in converting the skirt into bloomers to raise the lower end of each leg-section to a suitable point above or below the knee. Then the draw-string is then tightened, the folds of material will hang over the draw-string and form bloomers, as shown in Fig. 2.

To change the bloomers into a skirt, the draw-strings a: are loosened and the gathering drawn ont, so as to allow the leg-sections to fall downward to their full length. The knife-plaits c d in the front and rear are then buttoned and the skirt formed, as shown in Fig. l. The upper part of the garment is provided with a suitable band and plackets F F or other device customary in ordinary skirts.

The upper part of the garment may be shaped to the figure as desired,as,for instance, by cutting away the material within the dotted lines l-I in Fig. 6.

Vhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A habit for cycling, &c., comprising a skirt divided below the crotch into two enlarged leg-sections loosely and completely surrounding each leg, fastening devices on the front and rear for connecting the two sections below the crotch-line to form a skirt with a double partition between the said legsections, draw-strings adapted to gather the leg-sections at the bottom (when said fastening devices are loosened) and to secure them at any height about the leg to form bloomers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A habit for cycling, dac., comprising a skirt divided below the crotch into two complete sections, said sections constituting leg portions loosely and completely surrounding each leg, each section being provided with plaits, fastening devices secured to said plaits at the front and rear for connecting the two sections below the crotch-line to form a skirtI with a double partition between the said legsections, and a hem or guideway at the bottom of each section to receive a draw-string which latter is adapted to gather the leg-sections closely about the leg at any desired height to form bloomers, substantially as shown and described.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 28th day of March, A. D. 1896.

^ PAULINE B. HERCHT.

Vitnesses:

JOSEPH A. STETsoN, HERMAN GUsTovv. 

